Cold Turkey
by EvilDarkVirus
Summary: Shadowhunters. Set after 2x20 "Beside Still Water" when Alec and Magnus reunited. Alec challenges the Warlock to spend a weekend magic-free in his family's cabin. Will Magnus make it? Constructive comments are welcome.
1. Chapter 1

**Friday**

"When you said we're spending the weekend at your family's place in the woods I pictured something a little more…" Magnus trailed off as he gawped at the log cabin which looked the same size as his living room back in Brooklyn, "well, just, more." The Warlock looked over his shoulder at Alec who slung his weekend bag onto his back before following Magnus towards the cabin, giving a slight grin as he avoided the Downworlder's accusatory raised eyebrow.

It had all started the week before. Since defeating Valentine and their reunion in the alley behind the Hunter's Moon Alec had hardly left Magnus' loft, wanting to make up for the time they had lost when the Warlock had been forced to choose the Downworld over his young lover. He had told Magnus that he didn't think he could live without the Warlock in his life and he had meant it.

Spending every waking outside of his job hunting down demons and law-breaking Downworlders at Magnus' place had been eye opening. Alec had come to realise that Magnus hardly did anything without a flick of the wrist and a crackle of blue. From making the bed in the morning and browsing his extensive wardrobe to conjuring evening meals and tidying up the loft, Magus obviously relied heavily on his magic.

Shadowhunters had no such luck. Growing up as the eldest a lot of the household chores had fallen to him. Not forgetting he had a host of siblings to take care of. Izzy and Max had never been too much of a problem but Jace was the world's messiest roommate. Alec couldn't count the number of times he had had to clean up after his adopted brother in order to avoid scathing words from his mother.

Of course, Alec had reflected watching Magnus produce Belgian waffles and luxurious Italian coffee out of thin air, it just came naturally to the Warlock who had discovered his powers as a young child and had called upon them ever since to protect his people and sometimes to do the dishes.

Alec had wondered if Magnus ever accomplished anything without a click of his fingers and had challenged the Warlock to do just that for a weekend. Magnus had scoffed at the idea that he wouldn't be able to go without using his abilities and had accepted the challenge the Shadowhunter had set him. Although, peeking around Alec to lay his eyes upon the inside of the cabin Magnus wasn't so sure it had been a good idea.

"Look, Magnus, you said you could go without using magic for a whole weekend," Alec slipped a small silver key from his pocket and turned it in the lock, "this seemed like the best way of keeping you away from temptation." The Shadowhunter pushed the door open and stepped into the cabin, his cobalt blue eyes taking a moment to adjust to the lack of light.

Magnus took a deep breath, "the things I do for you, Alexander…" he muttered, picking up his designer luggage and following Alec into the cabin. He was met with a simple but relatively elegant living space; the furniture was basic and functional but not altogether horrific Magnus reflected as he placed his luggage down on the coffee table in front of a worn but comfortable looking sofa which faced an old brick fireplace.

There was a small dining table and chairs to one side of the cabin and a bookshelf which looked like it was about to topple over at any minute under the weight of many volumes on the other. At the far end of the room, opposite the front door, Magnus spotted an open-plan kitchen with a simple stove, fridge and larder. The wooden surfaces were clear of clutter.

The Warlock noticed that the whole space seemed to be clutter free, except for the mantle above the fire which was covered with photographs and mementos of time spent here by the Lightwood family. Magnus' face lit up as he walked along from end to end as he inspected the photos seeing images of Alec, Jace, Izzy and further along the mantle Max playing in the woods, cooking over a campfire, hunting with fierce looking bows and fishing in the lake as youngsters.

It was like a time capsule, Magnus thought as he picked up a frame from the end of the mantle which held a photo of Alec from a few years ago, his innocent blue eyes staring out from the image a slightly embarrassed look on his face as if he had tried to avoid the camera. Magnus almost missed the boy despite Alec being in the next room.

Magnus had no such mementos from his early years, in fact, his childhood had been the most painful time of his life. Having been the result of a liaison between his mother and a disguised Asmodeus, a greater demon, Magnus had been born in 16th century Jakarta and had grown up happily until his golden cat-like Warlock eyes had given his demonic heritage away. His mother had committed suicide not long after and his step-father had tried to drown him.

Alec had walked through to the main bedroom at the back of the cabin to deposit his bag and returned to the living space to watch Magnus as he browsed the photographs above the fire. Sensing Alec had returned Magnus put the photo down and turned to lay his eyes on the Shadowhunter, somehow seeing Alec in a new light.

"It's hard to imagine Shadowhunters having fun." Magnus smiled, walking over to stand in front of Alec, taking the boy's hand in his own tenderly, feeling suddenly touched that Alec had chosen to share this part of his life with him. Alec squeezed the Warlock's hand and grinned, "We couldn't train all day every day." He raised Magnus' hand to his lips to place a light kiss on the Warlock's palm before releasing it. "Even if my father would have preferred it that way."

Magnus' breath caught in his chest at the touch of Alec's lips against his skin and he offered a small smile. "Well, it's nicer in here than I expected." The Warlock waved his hand with his usual dramatic flair to indicate the cabin's interior, a host of rings glittering on his fingers.

"Although it could do with a few touches here and there…" His hand automatically raised as if to release magic but Alec stopped Magnus before he had the chance to fail the no-magic rule. "Magnus!" Alec chuckled to himself, it had hardly been 10 minutes and the Warlock had already almost used magic. "No magic, remember?" The Shadowhunter grinned at the exasperated Downworlder whose eyes were wide with surprise at how close he had come to letting Alec win.

"Of course." Magnus cleared his throat in an embarrassed manner. "Perhaps I should unpack." He picked up his luggage, almost full to bursting with expensive and flamboyant fashion choices and walked across the room and through the door Alec had appeared from.

The Shadowhunter grinned to himself as he moved over to kneel at the fireplace and started to place logs in a neat pile shaped like a tepee just has his father had shown him, with kindling in the middle. A quick strike of a match and the fire started to burn releasing much-needed warmth into the cabin.

By the time Magnus reappeared having unpacked his bag without the help of his magic, which had taken considerably longer than the Warlock had thought it would much to his annoyance, the sun had gone down. There was a roaring fire in the fireplace spreading golden light across the cabin and a bottle of open red wine on the coffee table, two glasses had been poured.

Alec, who had made himself comfortable by lying down on the sofa, looked up from the book he had been reading and smiled as he watched Magnus walk towards him. "Not so easy without magic, hmm?" The Shadowhunter teased before motioning to the glasses on the table and sitting up to make space on the sofa.

"Smugness is not an attractive quality, Alexander." Magnus grumbled as he picked up one of the glasses and took a long sip, returning it to the coffee table before turning to face Alec who still had a grin on his face. The Warlock couldn't help but be pulled out of his grouchy mood and he smiled, "Luckily, you have plenty of other attractive qualities." He said with a flourish of his right hand.

"Oh? Is that right?" Alec smiled as he stood up from the sofa and took Magnus' hand in his own, drawing the Warlock closer, his free hand sliding around the Warlock's waist. Alec could feel his heart beating in his chest as he looked into Magnus' eyes which were glamoured to a deep brown and reflecting the dancing flames from the fire. "Mhm," Magnus murmured as he let his lips brush Alec's, "for one you have fantastic taste in men."

The Shadowhunter didn't have time to chuckle as Magnus captured his lips in a slow, deep kiss which left Alec lightheaded. The Warlock tasted of red wine with undertones of burned sugar which Alec had come to know as Magnus' magic signature flavour. The Downworlder ever so slowly drew back, pressing his forehead to Alec's for a moment allowing the sensual moment to linger.

"I need you to know that I wouldn't go magic-free for anyone other than you, Alexander" Magnus whispered, lifting his gaze to Alec's lapis blue eyes which held a look of surprise beneath the glaze of desire. "It is a part of me," Magnus continued, shifting his weight from foot to foot as if nervous, "but so are you." The Shadowhunter lifted a hand to tenderly trace along Magnus' cheek, noting emotion stirring in the Warlock's eyes which slowly melted from chocolate to glimmering gold as his defences lowered.

Alec reached to take fistfuls of Magnus' silk shirt, pulling him down on top of him as he retreated to the sofa, claiming the Warlock's lips with his once more in a hungry kiss that promised a night of pleasure.


	2. Chapter 2

**Saturday**

Alec had always been an early riser, unlike Izzy who valued her beauty sleep, the eldest Lightwood had found it to be an advantage over the years giving him time to get more done in the morning before the family and the Institute woke up. It was no different in the cabin Magnus noticed as he had woken up to an empty bed, stretching out like a cat before tugging on one of his many colourful robes and walking towards the living room expecting to find his gorgeous boy waiting for him.

Unfortunately, the living space was empty much to Magnus' disappointment. There was, however, a pile of freshly made banoffee muffins on the kitchen counter which were still warm and a cafetiere of hot coffee. A look of surprise washed over the Warlock's face as he realised that Alec had actually made them himself, noting a dusting of flour on the kitchen floor which the Shadowhunter had missed.

Magnus took one of the muffins in his deft fingers and tore off a chunk, they were fluffy and smelt amazing. The Warlock reflected that he had never seen Alec cook before as he tucked into the breakfast treat. It wasn't like they hadn't shared many meals together in the loft, but Magnus realised, the food had usually been conjured up from some restaurant or another rather than prepared in his kitchen which was used more as a potion preparation area than somewhere to make meals. The Warlock made a mental note to let Alec take responsibility for dinner from time to time as he took a second muffin and headed back to the bedroom to get dressed.

While Magnus dressed sans-magic which produced a number of dirty words, Alec focused on inner peace. The Nephilim sat on a boulder overlooking the lake which was a mere ten-minute walk from the Lightwood cabin. He often came here to either clear his mind or think when staying in the woods, a habit he had picked up from his father who had explained that a calm mind was more likely to be victorious in battle. Jace had never appreciated meditation and had spent most of the time trying to break Alec's concentration and once even pushed his adopted brother into the lake out of frustration.

This morning Alec was meditating, eyes closed he allowed the lazy motion of the water lull him into calm as he took in deep breaths which he exhaled slowly. His plan today was to take Magnus hunting and he knew he would need all of his inner strength to keep the Warlock under control. Despite his abilities with magic, Alec had never seen Magnus pick up a weapon and something told the Shadowhunter it wouldn't be easy to teach the Warlock archery, a skill which required endless patience and finesse.

Alec's hunting bow lay on the ground next to him along with his quiver which was full of elegant but deadly arrows. The Shadowhunter's hand went to it quickly as he picked out the sounds of something approaching but retracted again just as instantly as he heard Magnus' voice cry out as the Warlock unceremoniously tripped over a fallen branch, righting himself at the last minute avoiding an inelegant fall. Alec grinned and remained where he was giving the Warlock a moment to compose himself, he had known Magnus would find being out in the wild tricky, he was such a city-dweller.

A moment later Alec was aware of movement nearby and felt Magnus sit next to him on the boulder. The Warlock gazed at the Shadowhunter and not for the first time felt a swell of emotion as he took in how majestic Alec was. He had been born and bred to be a soldier, a killing machine and yet watching him enjoy the simple pleasure of relaxing in the open-air Magnus knew there was far more to this boy than just his job.

"Most people would take offence at being abandoned the morning after," Magnus said, finally breaking the silence. Alec smiled and allowed his eyes to flutter open, they adjusted to the morning light before settling on the Warlock who, with a flourish, offered him a muffin which the Shadowhunter took. "I thought you would appreciate some rest after…" Alec trailed off as a blush of scarlet crept across his cheeks, "after last night."

Magnus chuckled gently at Alec's embarrassment. Despite having been lovers for many months the Shadowhunter still felt the heavy weight of his inexperience and felt inadequate in most physical situations. As a warrior, Alec had been exposed to great pain so much so that pleasure was almost an alien concept to him. Magnus had taken it upon himself to teach Alec the many pleasures of the flesh, taking it slowly to make sure the boy was comfortable.

Magnus knew it would take a while for Alec to become fully confident with his body and the effect it had on the Warlock. Magnus fondly remembered their first time; how Alec's hands had trembled with nerves, how he had bitten Magnus' lip by accident and the bashful way Alec had looked away when the Warlock had removed his clothes, embarrassed by his nakedness. Magnus also remembered how when he had lost control over his demon eyes Alec had looked directly into them and told the Warlock he was beautiful. That would be something Magnus would never forget.

Magnus leant over to place what he hoped was a reassuring light kiss on Alec's cheek, not wanting the boy to feel self-conscious for an extended period of time. "So, what are we doing today?" Magnus asked as Alec took a quick bite from the muffin, revelling in the sweet banoffee flavour. Alec motioned to the bow and arrows, "I thought we could try hunting." Magnus offered a quizzical raised eyebrow but nodded slowly, understanding that Alec wanted to share this with him. With a flourish, Magnus picked up the bow and offered a slightly apprehensive smile, "let's go."

"I still can't believe you shot me!" Alec's voice was full of disbelief as he pushed open the cabin door with a grimace and walked to the kitchen, depositing the three pheasants he had hit with his bow and arrow during the day onto a surface. The Shadowhunter's left upper arm had been crudely bandaged up and blood was seeping from beneath the fabric.

"Look, Alexander, it wasn't on purpose…" Magnus trailed off, sheepishly following Alec into the cabin and shutting the door behind them before putting the ill-fated bow and quiver down. Stepping away from the weapon and giving it a menacing glare as if it was itself to blame, Magnus turned to look at Alec who was clearly in a lot of pain as he shrugged off his jacket and unwrapped the bandage, hissing as the fabric revealed a nasty looking arrowhead lodged in his upper arm. Alec had snapped off the end of the arrow before covering it up.

"What were you aiming at?" Alec looked up at the Warlock with an angry expression, taking Magnus by surprise. "Did you even have your eyes open?" The Shadowhunter growled. "Do you honestly think I would want to hurt you, Alexander?" The Warlock questioned, sadness glimmering in his brown eyes. Alec took a few deep breaths. "No, I don't think that Magnus." The Shadowhunter replied, waving Magnus closer with the arm of his uninjured side, sliding it around the Warlock as he came to stand next to Alec. "I'm sorry. It just hurts." The Shadowhunter leant his head to rest on Magnus' shoulder.

Magnus nodded, shifting to get a better look at the wound, "I can fix it." Alec shook his head, "No, no magic, remember?" Magnus' features took on a defiant expression. "But you're injured, Alexander, because of me no less." Alec shook his head stubbornly. Magnus sighed and glanced down to the Shadowhunter's belt where he usually kept his stele, realising it was not there he frowned. "No magic means no Nephilim magic either, Magnus." Alec murmured having noticed the Warlock's frown.

"Come now, Alexander, you can't be serious," Magnus replied, realising just how much Alec was willing to put up with to see The Warlock through the weekend without using magic. "It's fine, there's a first aid kit somewhere." Alec disentangled himself from Magnus to rummage through the cupboards in the kitchen, emerging with a metal box which he placed on the kitchen counter and opened revealing all manner of medical apparatus.

"You're going to have to help me," Alec said as he found the supplies he needed from the box and laid them out. Magnus swallowed nervously and nodded, moving over to the Shadowhunter. Although he had healed many wounds and counteracted many poisons in his time, this would be the first time Magnus had ever used his hands and not his magic to do so.

"We need to remove the arrowhead, clean the wound and then patch it up," the Shadowhunter explained, "do you think you can manage?" Alec looked up at Magnus who had gone a little pale. "You'll do fine, don't worry." Alec picked up a severe looking scalpel which he had sanitised and handed it to the Warlock. "You will need to widen the wound using that to get the arrowhead out."

Magnus cleared his throat and looked down at the blade in his hand, the last thing he wanted to do was inflict even more pain on his beautiful Shadowhunter but he had little choice. Magnus looked up at Alec and nodded, moving the scalpel into position at the bottom of the wound he took the hand of Alec's uninjured arm in his spare one before applying the pressure required to break the skin and open the wound by an inch.

The Shadowhunter clenched his teeth but didn't make a sound, although he did squeeze Magnus' hand. The Downworlder wondered if he was hiding the pain for his benefit. Magnus put down the scalpel and picked up a pair of surgical pliers which he used to grab the arrowhead and pull it out of Alec's arm slowly. The Nephilim groaned a little as it was removed, blood seeping from the now empty wound.

"Ok, good." Alec murmured, "now just clean it and bandage it up." Magnus noticed that Alec looked decidedly pale but moved onto gently clean the cut with antiseptic before applying a bandage, keeping pressure on it to stem the bleeding and help close the wound. "It's done," Magnus said as he secured the bandage and looked up. "Alexander," he paused seeking Alec's cerulean eyes, "I am really sorry." The look of shame on the Warlock's face was almost enough to break Alec's heart.

"Listen, I'm fine, Magnus." The Shadowhunter leant to take Magnus' hand in his own and tried to give a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine." Magnus nodded slowly. "I can't stand to think of in pain." The Warlock whispered, brushing a few strands of ebony hair from Alec's eyes. "I am so used to saving the day with magic, this is really hard for me," Magnus explained, frowning as he looked down to the floor.

The Shadowhunter offered a small smile, "Magnus, it wasn't your magic that saved me." He paused and leant over to lift Magnus' chin gently before brushing his lips against the Warlock's "It was your soul." Alec whispered, capturing the Warlock's lips in a soft kiss which lingered sending shivers down Magnus' spine.

The Warlock's gold eyes were wide with surprise at what Alec had said when they separated. Most Nephilim considered Downworlders to be soulless monsters and here was this beautiful boy contradicting words he had heard across centuries. What had he done to deserve such an angelic creature?

Alec cupped the Magnus' cheek gently for a moment before grinning. "You know, you're going to have to make dinner, right?" The Shadowhunter motioned to the pheasants on the kitchen counter. "I can't do it with only one arm."


End file.
